Listed as Least Concern in view of its relatively wide distribution, collection for the aquarium fish trade is not globally impacting the population, no substantial habitat loss, and there are no other potential major threats.

This species has been recorded from the southern Coral Sea, southern Great Barrier Reef (Australia) and adjacent coast, south to central New South Wales (Australia), New Caledonia (France), Lord Howe Island (Australia) and Norfolk Island (Australia) (Steene 1978, Pyle 2001, G.R. Allen pers. comm. 2006). It has generally been recorded at depths of 20 to 40 m (Steene 1978).

There appear to be no major threats to this species. Although it is rarely collected for the aquarium trade, harvest levels are not considered to be impacting the global population. There is no substantial habitat loss in the range of this species.